The Herbal Shop
by Handypup
Summary: Modern AU fic. My first try at one, so, please, constructive crits. Focuses on Kouga and an original character as the main pairing. Inu/Kag/OC Ella is a wolf hanyou who works in an herbal shop that sells organic goodies, she leads as normal a life a
1. Chapter 1

She walked up the stairs to her apartment, the heels of her knee high boots clacking as she went. Her hips swayed gently in her army green capris and her hands were dug deeply into her pockets. She came to the end of the hallway and sighed, looking at the door. The 'B' on her door had come loose and was slightly crooked. She shook her head and fumbled for her keys in her messenger bag and proceeded to open the door. She walked in and kicked the door shut, tossing her keys on her kitchen counter, before flicking the light on. Her green eyes scanned the room and she quirked her eyebrow.

Her roommate was crashed on the couch again, her study books strewn about the coffee table and her heavy blue backpack on the floor next to the couch. She went to the kitchen and began a pot of coffee before going to the couch and gently shaking the girls shoulders. She sat up like a shot and looked hurriedly around, letting out a sigh when she saw the reassuring green eyes of her friend.

"Ella! What time is it?" she asked groggily, looking about the room.

"It's 8pm, my dear." She brushed the girls dark black hair down and behind her ears, "You have a big test tomorrow?" she asked, scratching her head, which was concealed by a bright red bandanna. 

"I do, actually. In my mammalogy class," she gestured towards the two books that were open, "Canine anatomy and behavior." She sighed, before lightly sniffing the air.

Ella smiled warmly, "Coffee, Kagome?"

"Oh, I would love a cup!" she replied happily, straightening her pile of books and putting away the ones she didn't need. She began sorting her notes out and finding where she left off.

Ella sauntered into the kitchen and pulled down Kagome's favorite mug. It had calla lilies and cattails in watercolors on it. She set it down before reaching back up for her own and smiled fondly at the writing on it.

'Cast-iron Bitch' and a little steel husky lay at the bottom. She recalled how she acquired it as she poured the coffee and mixed the vanilla syrup and sugar into it.

She had her arm hooked around her boyfriend's elbow. He was handsome, dirty blond hair and one eye was blue while the other was green. She sighed as they walked past a little stand full of stuffed animals.

"_Don't be so Childish, Ell." He said haughtily to her as he kept up his quick pace._

_She yanked him to a stop in front of the Strength testing punching bag._

"_Don't call me childish, Rick." She said sternly. A couple walking by stopped to watch the growing argument._

"_Please, Ell, you act like such a little girl, sometimes." He turned to walk away, but she wasn't finished._

_She yanked him by the arm and took him over to the machine._

"_If you can beat me, I'll concede and admit I'm a weak little girl." She said the last part in an overly sarcastic tone. Rick scoffed at her and stood in front of it, the man reset it and told him it worked._

_He punched a few times, gauging himself, before he pounded it mercilessly. He scored a fairly good rating, but didn't break the record._

"_Alright, sissy," Ella started, as she rolled her sleeves up and flipped her box cap backwards, "Let me show you how to do it right." She took up her stance and stared intently, Rick making snide remarks behind her and he finally called her a little girl and she snapped. She threw her fist into the bag so hard it went crazy, and then threw her other just as hard, almost breaking the machine. She beat the record, needless to say and Rick dumped her then and there._

_The man called her a cast-iron bitch, with a huge grin on his face and so she picked a personalized mug as her prize._

She brought Kagome her coffee and leaned back on the sofa to remove her boots. Kagome sipped the hot drink slowly, savoring the sweetness of it and relishing the strength of it.

"Why don't your bandanna off?" she asked softly, leaning back and holding the drink to her chest.

Ella shrugged and grabbed the T.V. remote; untying her bandanna and shaking her oddly cut hair. She scratched her head and tied the lengthy part of her hair in a high ponytail.

"Doesn't that thing hurt your ears?" Kagome asked as she gently stroked a velvety, angular appendage atop the girl's head. She rumbled in her chest and sighed.

"I can't wear my box cap at work, so I just have to learn to suffer through it." She scratched behind one and felt her thigh muscle twitch.

"Any luck finding that other Hanyou you smelled?" Kagome asked before taking another sip of coffee.

"No, but I could tell clearly, he wasn't a wolf hanyou, smelled more like a dog." She sat forward and pulled her tail from her waistband. She looked mournfully at the thing; in order to hide it she needed to keep it shaved or else it showed too much.

"Do you need me to shave it down again?" her friend asked softly and Ella nodded.

She wanted to cry; what would her pack think if they saw her do such a thing? Her once proud, full, black wolf tail was now nothing more than the fleshy naked appendage of a rat.

"C'mon, Ella." Kagome took her hand and led her to the bedroom, grabbing an electric shaver and a 3-blade razor as well as some shaving cream and baby wipes. Ella pulled her capris down; exposing her blue striped g-string and well-rounded hips. As well as her fleshy little tail, which was covered in patchy bits of short black fur. She stood with her back to her friend and sighed, thrusting her butt out a little and lifting her tail. Kagome began shaving it with the electric razor first, then wiped it down with the baby wipes, getting it nice and wet, before lathering it in shaving cream and carefully shaving it with the 3-blade. It was incredibly smooth and Kagome was quite proud of herself. All the while the girls had no idea someone was watching them from their well-lit bedroom window.

He rustled around in the bushes a little, his deep blue eyes straining to see just a little more. He had followed the girl home from the store she worked in after having an intense encounter with her.

He was looking at various soaps on the rustic wooden shelf. He had been having a hard time finding something he liked that was name brand, when a friend recommended he try this little shop. They sold all kinds of naturally made, organic products, and he found he liked the texture and scents much more than what he normally used. He admitted to himself that he was a little vain when it came to things like this, but after living so long without these amenities made him very fastidious and overly picky with his hygiene and hygiene products. He was looking at a milk and honey blend soap with little bits of lava rock in it when a young woman in a green apron walked up to him.

"_That's one of my favorites. But if you like that one, you might try this one instead." She leaned in front of him a little and their shoulders touched, igniting a little electricity between them. She blushed and he noticed. He watched as her lithe fingers wrapped around a milky blue bar of soap._

"_What's the fragrance?" He asked calmly, even with his keen sense of smell he couldn't tell what the soft scent was._

"_Evolvulus, or Hawaiian Blue Eyes and honey. There's a little bit of lava rock as well, for exfoliating." She held the bar of soap for him to take a gentle whiff. He regarded its very round shape and soft blue color. She looked hopeful for the sale, for he would buy the complete set if he picked the soap._

"_Alright, you sold me." He grabbed a nearby hand basket and she set the soap in it for him, "Show me the lotions and I'll get out of your hair." He said with a smirk._

_She looked at him and took in his high, pitch-black ponytail and god-like bronze skin. His eyes were bluer than the ocean and she found herself drowning in them all too quickly. He quirked a cocky eyebrow at her and she blushed again. He had a toothy grin, his canines were quite long, she noticed as she turned and led him to the lotion counter. She grabbed the hand and body lotion for him and as they were walking to the checkout she grabbed the shampoo as well._

"_That comes to $56.75," she paused, looking up at him._

"_Kouga." He said huskily, eliciting a little intake of breath and another heavy blush across her cheeks and nose. He pulled out his wallet and handed her cash. Exact change. She smiled and wrapped his things in brown paper before putting them into a reusable cloth bag._

"_For when you come by again." She smiled softly at him and he found himself enthralled by her soft round curves and delicate gestures. He quickly took a discreet smell of her and he immediately stilled and straightened. He sniffed again after she had said her goodbye and turned to arrange some perfumes behind her._

_Hanyou; he nearly growled in frustration. A wolf hanyou, too, how had he gone so long without finding this one? He had contacted nearly all the wolf demons and wolf hanyous he could scent out, searching for his pack mates._

_He left the store quickly and sniffed out her car in the parking lot. It reeked of care and her soft rosy scent. A simple little Cobalt LS. He sighed and drove back to his empty apartment, before deciding he would follow the girl to her home._

That led him to his current predicament. He had just watched, horrified as the wolf-girl had her roommate shave her tail. HE desperately wanted to run into the room and throttle her. Kouga walked out of the bushes and leaned against a light post, thinking about how he would approach her. To her and everyone else, he appeared human, even his scent masked by his strong youki. Hanyous couldn't do this, however and so he could tell she masked her scent with the rose scented soap and some subtle pheromones. He didn't even notice till it was too late that she had come rushing out of her apartment; not looking ahead of her, until she barreled into him and knocked him over, onto the moist grass.

"Oh my god! I'm so…sorry…" she gasped a little, "Kouga?" she sat back on her feet as he stood and brushed himself off, before reaching down for her.

"Hey, sweet cheeks, how's it going" he asked with that scratchy husky voice that made her knees weak earlier.

"Um, ok?" she said shyly as she reached up and took his calloused hand. It was rough and strong and she felt like she had just grabbed a handful of heaven. She suddenly wanted to see how he looked under the heavy jean jacket and black t-shirt he was wearing.

'Perfect, no doubt.' She thought to herself.

"What on earth are you doing around here?" she gestured widely with her hands.

"I was visiting a friend and just heading back home, when you ran into me." He brushed off her shoulder. He hated lying, but he had become quite good at it over the centuries and so the words simply tumbled from his mouth as easily as the truth might.

"I see. Um, would you like to come up for some coffee? I just made some since my roomy has to study." She babbled on and he smiled gently at her. Kouga took her hand softly and she swooned.

"I would love to have coffee with you. I don't even know your name, though." He chuckled at her as she became flustered.

"It's Ella. Ella Donelly."

"That's a lovely name, Ella." It rolled off his languid tongue like honey and she felt her stomach grow hot.

He could smell it; her thick arousal and he relished the way it filled his nostrils and begged his body to claim her. He hadn't been with a woman in at least 200 years and why he was suddenly responding to her when not even the wolf demon females had captured his interest, he could never guess. She led him by the hand to her apartment building, when she remembered why she had gone out there in the first place.

"Hang on!" she dashed quickly to her little coupe and pulled out a basket of toiletries and a bag of healthy fruit snacks, "I forgot."


	2. Chapter 2

Totally fudged this the first upload and didn't even realize! This is the real chapter 2, suggestive themes and whatnot.

Make Your Hellos

Ella led Kouga up the stairs, giddy with energy. She kept quiet, however, not wanting to chatter his ear off. Kouga just smirked as he followed her. His eyes focused on the sway of her hips as they quickly climbed the stairs and he enjoyed watching her blush when they came to the door and she noticed his wandering gaze.

Eyeing me like a steak or something." She swallowed, trying to moisten her throat and loudly announced her entry to Kagome, lest she be attacked by a baseball bat.

"Kagome, I brought company." She walked around Kouga and gently brushed his forearm as she went to close the door, locking it firmly. Kouga started a little at the clicking sound, but quickly smiled toothily at her.

"Oh yeah, is it Jake again? I thought you said…oh. Well, you certainly aren't Jake." Kagome said brightly as she rounded the corner, stunned to see the handsome young man.

"Here." Ella said softly, reaching out for his coat. He handed it over and she set it on the back of a kitchen chair.

"I'm Kouga, and you?" he held his hand out to Kagome and she gently took it.

"Kagome Higurashi. It's a pleasure to meet you Kouga." She smiled warmly at him and he found that she too was quite attractive for a human.

"How do you take your coffee, Kouga?" Ella quickly asked, blushing when she the two still holding hands.

"Oh, what do you have?" he dropped Kagome's hands and sauntered over to her, resting one hand next to hers on the counter.

"Um, Sugar in the Raw, Vanilla syrup, hazelnut cream and milk." She looked over at him and smiled. The way he was leaning his hips on the counter with one leg bent and the other stretched showed the flesh of his hip and a little of his abs. His motorcycle boots looked perfect with his faded, loose, hip-hugging black jeans. But her eyes were inevitably drawn to that small expanse of flesh. Tan as his face and hands and she found herself idly wondering if he tanned nude, when the image of his bare body jumped into her mind and she swallowed hard, before his heavy hand was on hers. She jumped at the sudden touch.

"Are you ok, Ella?" he asked huskily. Oh that deep, scratchy voice made her knees quiver and her tail curl around her hip tighter.

"Uh, yeah, just, drifted off I guess. What were you saying?" she smiled at the coffee pot before reaching for a large, burgundy mug.

"I'll take a little sugar and the hazelnut cream." He looked around for Kagome for a second, noticing that she had left, before he stepped up behind Ella and placed a hand on her hip. She froze, the creamer in her hand starting to shake a little, before he gently took it and set it down, holding her hand in his firmly. He put his nose at the nape of her neck and inhaled deeply, the hand on her hip squeezing a bit. Her arousal spiked, but so did her fear. He wasn't going to hurt her.

"I know what you are. I can smell it all over you." He whispered to her and her eyes widened. Terror permeated her body and he found himself frowning. What was she thinking?

"Please, don't …" he cut her off with a finger on her lips, before allowing his own cover to drop slightly.

The very distinct, male wolf smell invaded her senses quickly and she nearly spun around on him. Her eyes were twinkling with intense curiosity.

"I won't harm you, I would never." He inhaled her scent again and the fear was replaced with desire again. He put a hand on her cheek and rubbed gently. She sniffed his hand and delighted in the masculine scent of another wolf so close to her. His own arousal punctuated his scent and she wanted to squirm against him. She wasn't a girl who liked to rush into bed with any old man, but Kouga was so different for her. She had never been near a male wolf demon since she came of age, and so she never knew what it was like to be with one.

"Kagome will be right back." She said softly and he quickly released her. She picked up the creamer and poured it in, then stirred it gently, the clinking of the spoon soothing her frazzled nerves.

"It's been so long since I've met another wolf demon." She said gently, turning and handing him his cup. He sipped it gently and smiled at her, again.

"We're all over here, the cold weather suits us. Most of us are still at odds with Hanyous, though, so I'm not really surprised." He shrugged and watched as she scratched her head at the base of her cap.

"Just take it off." He said with a little irritation in his voice, "You don't have to hide them from me."

"I don't want Kagome to know you're a demon." Ella walked to the counter and leaned over it, next to Kouga, who had taken up his former position with his hips against it.

"Why's that?" he asked curiously, giving her a sidelong glance. He could see the blue stripes of her little g-string and he nearly groaned.

"The last demon I brought home nearly killed me." She smiled up at him and spoke again, "That's why she keeps a bat under the couch and the knives right by the door."

Kouga looked shocked, who would do such a thing to her? She was so gentle and caring.

"What kind of demon was he?" he found himself growling softly and took a good gulp of his coffee to drown the sound out.

"He was a thunder demon." She sipped her coffee and stood up, walking to the living room. Kagome came back into the room, wearing a pair of jeans and a long sleeve tee.

"So, Kouga, do you live near here?" she asked cheerfully as she plopped down on the little brown recliner. Kouga sat on the sofa, very close to Ella.

"I don't, actually. I was just visiting my buddy, when I stopped for a moment and Ella bumped into me." He chuckled as she sputtered for a moment and Kagome giggled softly at her.

He finished the last of his coffee and Kagome had bid him goodnight, going to sleep early since she had a big test.

"Listen Ella," he began, gently resting his hand on her thigh, "I really enjoyed meeting you." She felt herself steeling up for the rejection she was sure would follow. His hand squeezed her thigh gently and she looked up into his gorgeous blue eyes.

"But I have to see who you really are. So take off your cap and show me." He leaned towards her and she blushed, her hand lifting slowly to her green cap. She swallowed and pulled it off, looking away as her black ears swiveled in his direction, slightly down in submission.

He reached up and tweaked one, eliciting a growl from her, before he chuckled softly and gave the same abused ear a languid, heavy stroke. She inhaled his strong scent and her head was floating, so Kouga quickly took advantage of her slightly parted lips and crashed his mouth onto hers. She complied quickly; relishing the feel of his velvety lips and the soft, gentle pleading of his hot tongue against her bottom lip. She opened her mouth, letting him in he stroked her tongue with his own, exploring her cavernous mouth before she pushed back with her own and he groaned, letting her take control. She laved her tongue over his long fangs and under his own tongue, before she pushed him down onto his back, never breaking the kiss and she straddled him. He reached his hands up and began rubbing her ears, slowly and firmly.

She bucked her hips against his own and he hissed at the friction against his firm erection. She pulled away from him and sucked in a breath, brushing her short hair out of her face and flicking her long ponytail over her shoulder.

"We have to stop." She panted out, still straddling him and resisting her strong urge to grind against his imprisoned length.

"Right," he reached up and kissed her softly and she crawled off of him, sitting on her feet on the couch.

She looked so coy and innocent, he wanted to rip her clothes off and ravish right then. He quickly gave her ears a gentle pet and walked to the kitchen, putting his jean jacket back on. She followed him and he took her hands in his own, kissing her knuckles, before saying goodnight and she closed and locked the door behind him, leaning back against it and sighing heavily.

Sorry if anything is wrong with it, but, please, reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

She walked up the stairs to her apartment, the heels of her knee high boots clacking as she went

At the Bookstore

Anybody want to be a beta reader for me?

Kagome was swiftly stocking books on the 'New Arrivals' shelf, humming happily to herself, when she heard the entrance bells jingle. She quickly stood, dusted off her blue skirt and walked to the entrance. She smiled happily and raised her hand.

"Welcome! If you need anything, just… ask." Her eyes widened a little at the sight before her.

It was a young man, with long silver hair that was tied into a ponytail. He had a black box cap with a little skull on it atop his head and his bangs peeked out from under it, shielding his eyes somewhat. He scratched his nose and adjusted his weight onto one leg, pushing his hip out to the side.

"I just need to look around a bit." He said softly as he walked past her.

She swooned; he was so handsome, with dark blue low-rise jeans and a nice white dress shirt. She slowly went back to her stocking, thinking of him as he walked around the aisles of the store.

He looked around the store without much interest after seeing the girl. She was very pretty and the irises embroidered on the v-neck of her shirt brought out the steely color in her eyes. Not to mention the great amount of cleavage the pretty shirt revealed. He lightly sniffed the air and the corners of his mouth lifted a little. He could smell her anticipation and nervousness and decided to wander closer to her. He stood behind her and rested his weight on one leg and her movements slowed a little. She was sitting, stocking the lowest shelf and he couldn't help but notice how cute she looked sitting with her legs off to the side and a book to her chest as she looked for its place.

He knelt next to her and scanned the books, putting on an annoyed expression.

"Is something the matter?" she asked quickly, a light blush on her cheeks.

"I can't find what I'm looking for. It's a fairly new book, about salt water chemistry." He said in a snippy tone and Kagome quickly stood, dusting off her skirt. Inuyasha snuck a peak upwards, before standing and noted that she was wearing lime green panties.

"It's this way, I'm fairly sure, I know what you're talking about. You keep salt water tanks?" Kagome asked with a smile as she led him to the opposite side of the store to yet another new release shelf.

"Nah, my older brother does, I told him I would pick up the book for him." He sauntered along behind her and watched her hips sway gently as she went.

"How neat, I hear they are very hard to keep." She was trying hard not to stutter; it felt like his eyes were burning into her and her blush deepened.

"He's real religious with his maintenance on his tanks and no one is allowed to touch them. I think he's a fruit cake, but they sure look nice." He prattled on, not really paying attention to his own words.

Kagome giggled and bent down, exposing a lovely expanse of thigh and just a smidge of that lime green.

"Here you go!" she said happily as she stood and spun around with a very thick, hard cover book in her hands.

"Thanks, uh?" he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Kagome." She said quickly, the blush returning to her cheeks.

"Inuyasha. You ringing me up to?" he asked as he started to walk away.

"Oh! Sure." She quickly went ahead of him and went behind the counter.

"You all alone, right now? That isn't very safe, you know." He set the book haphazardly on the counter and she scanned it.

"My boss is in the back and my co-worker is on lunch. I can take care of myself." She said defensively.

"Alright, alright, don't get huffy." He pulled his wallet out and handed her his credit card.

"It's 57.32," she said as she swiped the card.

"Fuck, he owes me." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and took the book, "Listen, Kagome, want to, uh… get some coffee or somethin'?" he asked nervously, looking away from her.

_Wow_, she thought, _cockiest guy I've ever met one minute and totally shy the next._

"Sure, I'd like that." She smiled warmly at him and his heart fluttered.

Inuyasha left the store in a somewhat anxious state. It had been so very long since he had been on a date. He just never found anyone that caught his eye. Being half demon didn't help either, most demon females weren't really interested and he could never tell any humans what he was. Either way he looked at it, he was screwed.

So he hadn't been with anyone for sometime and now he was anxious to get coffee with a girl. What a dolt, he had no reason to be nervous, he was well off and drove a nice car, lived in a nice house and had a great job. He was a catch.

_She should be so lucky_, he thought huffily.

He opened the door his GTI Mk V and tossed the book onto the passenger seat. The car was tornado red and the interior was a deep black. He loved his sports car, but had decided to get the 4-door instead of the coupe, because it was more practical for him. He toted around his niece and nephew most of the time. He turned the key and relished the growl of the engine before shifting into first and quickly taking off. He would get to his brother's and get dressed there for his date. He needed to have a word with the older demon anyways.

Kagome was packing her purse up and getting ready to clock out when Ella came into the shop. Kagome punched out quickly, excited to tell Ella of her date, but when she quickly walked up to her roommate she noticed the almost predatory look on her face.

"What's wrong, Ella?" Kagome asked quietly.

"I can smell that dog half demon in here, it's all over you." She took another whiff of Kagome, "A male, too."

Kagome blushed; it couldn't be Inuyasha, could it?

"Well, I did meet a very nice guy today and we scheduled a date for later tonight."

Ella sighed; she hated the thought of Kagome going out with someone that she might not be able to defend herself against. They began leaving the building; Ella plopped down heavily into the comfort of her soft cloth interior and lovingly stroked the wheel of her little coupe. Kagome sat somewhat rigidly in the car, nervous about her date with Inuyasha, who could possibly be a dangerous person. Then again, who didn't have that potential?

Ella turned the ignition and shifted into first, speeding out of the parking lot and onto the roads. She quickly shifted to second and third and rode it in fourth for a little while, before gunning it and shifting to fifth. She came to the apartment quickly and was stunned to find Kouga waiting under the street lamp.

"What are you doing here?" she asked anxiously, her hand going over her chest. Kagome chuckled at her and said she would head upstairs to get ready.

"I just thought I'd stop by to see you." He said softly, looking off to the side, into the grass. The tension was high and she was nervous he would be saying goodbye, but that fear was quashed as he took her hands in his and pulled her to his chest. She inhaled his heady scent deeply and was swimming in ecstasy before he pulled her away and chuckled at her. She blushed and slapped his sturdy bicep as he led her into the building. Again he lazily followed her, admiring the view. She was wearing a knee-length, white, layered skirt and it flowed around her in a lovely way. Kouga adored her hips and found himself conjuring up ways he could hold them and squeeze them. They reached the door and he leaned against the doorframe as she fumbled for the keys, forgetting Kagome was already inside. She sighed as she found the door to be unlocked.

"You must think I'm so foolish." She said quietly and he could practically taste her embarrassment.

"Not at all, Ella, dear." He said thickly, "In fact, I think it's real cute how flustered you get." He rubbed her shoulder and she nearly dropped her keys and buckled her knees at his strong touch. She sighed again and set her keys on the kitchen counter. She kicked off her tan sandals and went to the couch.

Kagome was busy finding something nice to wear. She wanted casual, but dressy. She settled on a pair of loose, grey-blue capris and a blue tank top with a white jacket. She picked a little pair of black earrings that were shaped like tears and had little rubies at the top. Kagome sighed and finally broke down, going to Ella's closet in search of a pair of shoes. There she spotted the perfect, well-worn and oh-so-comfy slides. She picked them p and went to the living room, only to be greeted by with the sight of Kouga nearly crawling on top of her roommate. She sighed yet again and simply slipped the shoes on and grabbed her purse.

Kagome locked the door behind her and swiftly descended the stairs. Ella did say she could borrow her car, so she would meet Inuyasha at the café. She turned the key and shifted into reverse, exiting the parking lot quickly. She was excited to drive Ella's car, she never got to drive stick or something so sporty very often. Her little hatchback was in the shop for repairs and it just didn't have the same get up and go the little Cobalt had. She arrived at her destination shortly and was surprised to see Inuyasha waiting under a street lamp for her.

He still had his skull box cap on, but was wearing black slacks and a dark red dress shirt. His hair was still neatly pulled into a ponytail.

"You look great, Kagome." He blurted when he saw her and his cheeks flushed a little.

"Thanks, so do you." She said softly. It had been a while since she'd been on a date and he was so handsome, so of course she felt a little shy.

He took her hand gently and her heart skipped a beat. Inuyasha led her inside and sat her down at a table near the far corner and gave the waitress his order. Kagome had to think a little and Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her.

"Don't be snobby, Inuyasha." She scolded him and under his cap his ears went against his head.

He was grateful she couldn't see them. Then he rolled his eyes and grunted at her.

They sat and talked easily with each other. Inuyasha felt secure in her presence, but there was one thing bothering him and he found himself sniffing at her discreetly several times. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it wasn't human.

The waitress brought them their drinks and food and quickly left. The café was getting busy, but it was still fairly quiet.

"I'm having a great time, Inuyasha. Would you like to go for a walk after wards?" Kagome asked with a soft smile on her face.

"Sure." He said quietly. He found himself drawn to her, and her smile brightened the room. They found themselves walking beside each other in no time, talking about mundane things and Inuyasha still had a nagging doubt at the smell on her. Finally they came to a park and Inuyasha took her hand and led her to a tree, where he gently backed her against it.

Kagome blushed deeply and brought a hand up to her chest. Inuyasha could smell her anxiety and mixed into it was arousal. He was eager to kiss her and feel her soft skin, but he had to identify that weird smell. He buried his nose in the crook of her neck and sniffed long and deep.

"God you smell good, Kagome." He whispered in a breathy voice.

He sniffed again. He could tell; it was a wolf. He was suddenly angry and jealous. Why would she be around a fucking wolf demon? But the more he let smell dance on his nose, the more he could tell it was female and it wasn't normal wolf demon, it was a half-breed. Now he was curious.

He kissed her neck gently and looked into her eyes. She looked away and he smirked at her shyness. She did say she had a roommate, maybe that was it. He shrugged it off and leaned in again. He darted his tongue out onto her skin and relished the way she shivered and clutched at his side.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered and he growled at how sexy her meek voice sounded, laced with desire for him.

It was very validating.

"Maybe we should call it a night?" she asked gently.

_Moved to fast idiot!_ He scolded himself and nodded, before taking her hand and walking her back to her car. They were quiet on the way, but it didn't feel awkward, like he thought it would.

"I had a great night, Inuyasha." Kagome said with a bright smile and a blush over her cheeks.

"Me too, Kagome." He said huskily, and ran his hand through her hair, before leaning in to kiss her softly on the cheek.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" she asked, and the hopeful look she gave him made him crack a genuine smile at her.

"I'd like that. Pick you up at 7?" he touched her hair again, loving how soft it was and she laughed and nodded.

"Sounds great!" she got into her car and he waved her off.

A long one, I rewrote it a few times and I'm still not totally happy with it. I'm not going to make Kagome a total wuss, but you know, she's a shy one.


	4. Chapter 4

She walked up the stairs to her apartment, the heels of her knee high boots clacking as she went

Kouga had held his breath for a second as he hovered over Ella. They both froze when they had heard Kagome come out, but he quickly refocused on the petit hanyou beneath him. Her face was quite red. He smirked at her and her heart skipped a beat, that toothy grin got her every time.

"Kouga, do you, um, think we might be moving to fast?" she asked meekly just before his fangs descended on her throat. She moaned at the short contact.

"What do you mean?" he raised an eyebrow at her and raised himself up to look at her face. He was quickly distracted by her round, blushing cheeks and how they set off the glow in her green eyes.

"I mean, we barely know each other and we aren't even dating, you don't even know if there's someone else." He growled at that, gripping her wrist tightly. The thought of some other man touching her and kissing her; it made him so angry and he couldn't even explain why. She wasn't his after all, she had just said as much.

"Well?" he asked her, his voice rough.

"Well, what?" she tilted her head and she reminded him of a puppy.

"Are you seeing someone?" he had let go of her wrist and was moving to sit up.

"Well, no. Not after the most recent train wreck." She sat and pulled her legs up, resting her chin on her knees.

"What do you mean?" he didn't want to know, but at the same time he was curious.

"I mean, I just want you to be sure of you want and I want a relationship. I'm not just looking for a fuck buddy, Kouga." She looked away from and sighed.

He took her hand from her thigh and held it gently, looking at her as she shyly avoided eye contact. It was a sign of submission, but he felt odd that she would give in so easily.

"Ella, that's not what I want either, but, I don't know if I want to be tied down in a relationship right now." He watched her intently and noticed her box cap was twitching. He pulled it off and was greeted by the sight of flattened, little, black triangles. They were so close to her skull they almost disappeared in her unruly nest of hair. He felt bad, but he had to be honest with her.

"Listen, I have things to do in the morning, Kouga, I need to turn in." she rose off the couch and walked to the front door, opening it and standing aside, never looking him in the eye. She held her elbow as she held the door open for him. He desperately wanted to hold her and calm her, kiss her. Anything, but he could feel the unease flowing off her, he could smell the oncoming tears and the fear in her and it hurt him that he had pained her so much.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked quietly.

"Maybe, I don't get off work till late, though." She rested her weight on one leg and turned her head, still avoiding eye contact.

"Alright, goodnight, Ella." He stepped out the door and it quickly shut and locked behind him. He sighed and strained to listen. He heard a whimper and the sound of her feet quickly fleeing away from the door.

"Fuck!" he growled. He didn't want to be tied down to one person. He didn't want that obligation, to have to be with someone, to have to set aside time for them and make them his top priority. He was so busy with things and getting his business off the ground right now, it wouldn't be fair to her. He quickly went down the stairs and opened the door, only to have Kagome bump into him. She nearly fell backwards, but he quickly grabbed her hand and steadied her.

"I'm so sorry! Oh, Kouga, going home so soon?" she smiled coyly at him and he felt his cheeks heat.

"Well, it's been quite a while, really and Ella said she had some things to do in the morning. How was your date?" he was already smelling her, he could tell something was off.

"It was wonderful!" she smiled widely at him, "He's very sweet, you know."

"Good, good. I better get."

"Goodnight!" she quickly went upstairs and the little breeze she created wafted the scent to him. It was a dog, half dog anyways. He scoffed, _so many goddamn demons here_. He hadn't counted on that when he moved to the US, but it wasn't really bad thing.

Kagome was whistling and tapping her foot excitedly as she unlocked the door to her apartment. She closed it and locked it back up before setting her keys and purse on the counter. She went to the couch and saw that Ella wasn't waiting up for her. She frowned. Kagome walked to the hallway when she heard it. It was a high keening whine, like when someone tied up a dog and slowly walked away from it; abandoning it. She had heard Ella make that noise many times and it pulled at her heart to hear it now.

"Ella, honey, what's wrong?" she asked from the girls closed door. Kagome heard some shuffling and a thunk, and a curse, and then Ella meekly opened the door, peeking through the crack.

"Kagome, how was your date?" she tried to sound like she hadn't been crying, but her face was streaked with moisture and her eyes were dull green.

"Later, what happened?" she pushed the door lightly and Ella gave in, letting Kagome into her room. They sat on her bed and Ella clutched a pillow.

"Well, Kouga and I talked." She sighed and Kagome stayed silent, "Well, to make a long story short, I said I wanted a relationship and he said he didn't. Not right now." She looked away.

"I know it's silly of me to be so upset, but, you know. I get so attached so quickly."

"Ella, it's ok, it's his loss anyways, maybe he's just coming out of a bad relationship? Maybe he's still settling in or something." She rubbed Ella's back and the hanyou clung to her.

"I'm just so tired of being lonely and dating all these losers. I finally find a great guy and of course he doesn't want me!" she sobbed into her roommate's chest. Kagome simply rubbed her back with one hand and scratched her scalp with the other. She had had to comfort her dear friend many times over relationships. Ella simply clung to her shirt, her sharp nails nearly ripping the fabric.

"Ella, come on, lay down." She pulled her friend down onto the mattress with her and kicked off her slides, getting comfortable. She held her and they fell asleep soon, wrapped up in each other. Ella was so dependant on Kagome; they had been through thick and thin together and always supported the other.

Kouga got home and tossed his keys on the counter, kicked off his boots and fell into his leather recliner with a thud. He rubbed his temples and reached for the remote, turning on the television and flicking through the channels aimlessly. Maybe he should have just lied to her, but then if they went to far he would have hurt her even more and he didn't want that. He growled at himself and threw the remote at the sofa, leaping out of the chair and going into the bathroom. Kouga turned the faucet on and let the hot water run before sliding out of his jeans and jockeys and tossing his shirt into the hamper. He stepped into the shower and leaned his head against the cold tiles, while the hot water rushed over his body.

Thoughts of what had happened before and what might have happened tonight flooded his mind and he quickly turned up the cold water, letting out a yelp. His long black hair fell all around him and he lathered up his soap and rinsed quickly before taking on the task of shampooing his hair. He wished she was there, doing it for him and he shuddered, heat going to his groin again. He rolled his eyes and turned off the faucet and walked, naked to his bedroom. The window was open and he shivered at the breeze, going over and closing it.

He could hear the front door open and close and the lock slide into place. He walked to the doorway.

"That you Ginta?" he hollered.

"Yeah, boss." The man hollered back and Kouga could hear the fridge open and close. He threw on a towel and headed for the kitchen.

"I hate when you walk around here naked, you know." Ginta gave him a sidelong glance and rolled his eyes.

"At least I'm wearing a towel this time." Kouga scoffed, before taking a piece of meat Ginta had pulled from the fridge and taking a large bite out of it.

"Hey! That's mine!" Ginta protested but stopped when Kouga gave him "the look."

"Jerk," he grumbled as he ducked back into the fridge for a new, less attractive piece of flesh.

yeah, that's right, it was raw meat -- sorry it's so short, the next chapter will take right up from this scene. But it's late and I'm tired, so this what you get. AS ALWAYS REVIEWS ARE FUEL. If no one likes it, why will I continue?


	5. Chapter 5

He slumped down onto his plush couch and Ginta plopped down next to him. Kouga raised the red flesh to his lips and tore a little sliver off, letting the taste of blood explode on his tongue. His smiled a little, but quickly went back to his sour mood.

"Next week I was thinking we could pick up some Elk or Buffalo. The deer is great and all, but I could go for something a little more robust." Ginta said, trying to lighten his companion's mood.

Kouga shrugged and tore another sliver, chewing it thoughtfully. He ran a hand through his long black ponytail and stared straight ahead.

"How did your date go?" Ginta suddenly ventured, looking away, trying not to look as interested as he was. He had never really seen a girl affect his friend in such a way before.

"Bad. We got into an argument, I guess." He shrugged and took a large bite, letting the taste overpower him a moment. He missed raw meat on a regular basis, but adjusting to normal human food had somewhat lowered his bodies tolerance to it and so he could only enjoy it a couple times a week.

"Already arguing with her? I thought you said last time that things were great and you really liked her?" Ginta incredulously as he took a bite of his own meat and chewed noisily, a little blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth.

"She said she wanted a relationship."

"Isn't that why a person dates?" Ginta asked in that stupidly curious tone he used when he was picking on Kouga "Isn't that also why you were looking anyways?"

Kouga rolled his eyes, "I wasn't looking, she just fell into my lap so to speak. I don't want to get tied down, right now, you know that." He tore a piece of flesh off with his fingers and studied it a moment, before slipping it into his mouth and rolling it around on his tongue. He missed the hunt and the thrill of the chase, the preys fear thick in his nostrils.

"You said that to her?" he asked, shocked.

"Listen, we can't all be hung up and dating little miss perfect right now, alright?" he stood and put what was left of the meat in the disposal and churned it into oblivion.

"Well, you could be if you hadn't just told her you weren't interested!" Ginta stood and yelled at Kouga.

Kouga looked with wide eyes at his friend and slumped his shoulders in defeat. Ginta was rational when it came to relationships, but he always wanted to be in them. Kouga wasn't always sure if he wanted to commit and devote so much time to a person. Ginta often told him he equated dated to buying a new puppy; if he didn't have the time to train and housebreak and give it attention, he wasn't going to buy it. Kouga had scoffed at him at the time, but now he knew Ginta had a point.

"I'm going to bed." He said quietly as he went to his room and shut the door.

Ginta simply shook his head and tore into his meat.

Ella was stocking the shelves of lotion when he came in. She didn't even notice, she was so deep in thought about the wolf she had grown so attached to, so when the young man placed a strong hand on her shoulder she gave a little shriek and threw up the bottles of lotion she had in her hand.

"I'm so sorry!" he quickly apologized, his voice somewhat gravelly, but not in an old-man-with-emphysema way. He bent down and began helping her pick up the bottles.

"No, no, I should have been paying attention." She stood and held her apron out for him to put the bottles in like a basket and smiled with closed eyes.

"My name's Bankotsu." He quickly said, placing the assorted bottles into her apron-basket.

"Ah, Ella. Can I help you find anything?" she had opened her eyes and quickly become flustered. He was attractive. Devastatingly attractive, his hair was a long, thick black and his bangs were unruly in front of his face. He was tall and carried himself in a dominant posture; his eyes were blue as the ocean; striking and captivating.

"Actually, I was looking for something for a friend of mine. Uh, eclectic, totally girly and loves flowery fragrances." He said, scratching his chin and looking around.

"Just a lotion or soaps, shampoo, a whole kit?" a blush crept over cheeks and her nose and she turned to straighten the bottles of lotion out that she had previously been working on.

"Just a body soap and lotion." He put his fists on his hips with his elbows out at his sides.

"Is it a girlfriend or a relative?" she had walked over to the body section and was already looking.

"Neither. He's like a brother to me, but you know, he has some… effeminate tastes." He stood behind her and slightly off to the side, watching as she bent over to pick up a bottle on the lower shelf. His eyes traveled up her body as she stood and lingered on her round hips as she dusted off her skirt with one hand, a small bottle in the other. He then trailed up her waist and stopped to appreciate her ample cleavage before moving up her pale neck and her blushing cheeks to meet her eyes with a hungry look in his own.

"Uh, um…" she coughed a little at the look he had just given her and tried again, "this one is nice, it's one of our best lilac fragrances. It's a body scrub, with lilac petals in it, so it looks very nice on your counter as well and it's incredibly exfoliating and soothing. The scent is soft, not overpowering at all and very natural; it's practically hypoallergenic as well." She held the bottle out to him and he took it, brushing both his hands on hers.

"Do you have a tester?" he asked confidently as he turned the bottle over and looked over the ingredients, all 100 natural, of course.

"Yes, and the lotion as well." She grabbed both and opened the tester bottle for him, he sniffed it gently and exhaled slowly. She set it down and then opened the lotion and held it up for him to sniff.

"Could you put it on? So I can see how it smells on the skin?" he asked, arching one eyebrow at her, suggestively.

She complied and rubbed it into her wrists and hands and he gently took them and sniffed at the backs of her hands softly, turning them over and sniffing down her wrists.

"Alright, I'll take them both, will you ring me up as well?" he asked before turning to walk away.

"Sure." She quickly went up to the cash register and began ringing him up when she heard a cell phone go off, "Oh! I'm sorry, I thought I turned it off." She reached under the counter and turned the ringer off.

"It's ok. Was that, uh, what's it called?" he tapped his chin with his forefinger and Ella took a good long look at his full lower lip.

"It's Avenged Sevenfold." Came a deep, rough voice from behind Bankotsu.

Ella blanched, it was Kouga and he stepped around the young man to look at her sternly. He tapped his cell phone and she nodded and finished ringing Bankotsu up.

"Here, call me sometime, alright?" he winked at her and handed her a business card. She shyly took it and nodded as he left with his purchases. Ella then steeped into the back quickly and hollered for a co-worker to take over the floor for a moment before stepping around the counter and going outside, to the rear alley of the store. Kouga followed right behind her.

"Who the hell was that?" he quickly asked when the door shut and they were alone behind the little shop.

"Just a customer I guess." She shrugged, "I've never seen him before."

"Well, I didn't like how he had his hands all over you." He took her shoulder and looked at her. Her eyes were bright green in the sunlight and her cheeks were rosy tinted. It hurt somewhat that those cheeks were rosy from someone else's attention on her.

"What on earth do you care for Kouga?" she narrowed her eyes at him and shook off his hand, before leaning against the wall of the building.

"Ella, I…" he had hoped she would have forgotten about that little spat, but obviously she wasn't nearly as stupid as some of the other girls he knew.

"Whatever, Kouga, I need to get back in." She took off her deep red bandanna for moment to scratch her stuffed up ears, but before her hand was on the furry appendages, Kouga was already leaning in and scratching for her. He started at their base, on Ella scalp and she sighed, he then moved steadily upwards, rubbing and scratching and she began to lean her head forward. She forgot for a moment that she was angry with him and his ministrations on her abused little appendages did much to soothe her mood.

"I'm sorry, Ella. It's not my business, especially after what I said yesterday." He continued rubbing, with his thumbs on the insides and three fingers on the outsides; up and down in a steady rhythm.

"Hmm." Was her only response for a second and he thought, hoped, he was out of the doghouse. Then she came to her senses and removed his strong hands from her ears and quickly replaced the bandanna on her head.

"Please, Ella, let me make it up to you. Let's go out tonight." He grabbed her wrist as she turned to go and she looked up at him, her eyes hopeful but her posture weary.

"Alright, Kouga. Pick me up after work? I get off at 5." She smiled at him and put a hand over his on her wrist and his mood picked right up.

"Definitely!" he smiled at her and opened the door to her, before saying bye and leaving her in the doorway.

She felt stupid for agreeing, she wanted something from him he didn't want to give and she sighed. Maybe she would call Bankotsu tomorrow, since it was her day off. Ella slowly walked to the shelf she had been stocking and set about her tasks of stocking, pricing and setting up testers. She then went to the herb section of the shop and sighed at its disarray.


End file.
